


Ecco and Metroid: Something Terrible Has Happened

by Sparky_Lurkdragon



Category: Ecco the Dolphin (Video Games), Metroid Series
Genre: Archived From Tumblr, Archived from sparkylurkdragon blog, Meta Essay, Nonfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2019-10-08 10:23:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17384723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparky_Lurkdragon/pseuds/Sparky_Lurkdragon
Summary: An essay comparing Metroid and Ecco the Dolphin, written at a time when their futures looked especially bleak.





	Ecco and Metroid: Something Terrible Has Happened

**Author's Note:**

> Notes Added January 11th, 2019:  
> As we can see from the backdating, this was written before Metroid: Samus Returns came out. That game has done a _lot_ to give me hope that the Metroid series, at least, is back on track for now.
> 
> Time will tell if Ecco follows Samus back to the spotlight.

Lately, playing Metroid games has been giving me the same melancholy feeling as playing Ecco games (especially Tides of Time) does.

I mean, both series are kind of  _going_  for that kind of feeling. In a way, Ecco was the kind of thing you played if you had a Genesis/Mega Drive and wanted an experience similar to Super Metroid. It’s no Metroidvania in terms of game design (though some of the levels are definitely very labyrinthine), but in terms of mood, of the alien and oppressive crushing in all around you, they’re dead ringers for each other: your protagonist is largely or wholly alone against a hostile world, working to unravel a mystery, to stop terrible and powerful forces from destroying all that is good, in beautifully realized environments with music that utterly nails the highs and lows of their adventures. 

“Something terrible has happened; something very powerful” is from Ecco, but it could describe any number of things happening in the Metroid series.

The Metroid games usually grow to be more of an empowering experience by the end - while Ecco does gain superpowers, he’s still a much more vulnerable protagonist than late-game Samus - but the gist of these experiences is largely the same. Fans of Metroid’s atmosphere should give Ecco a try; fans of Ecco’s weirdness should try out Metroid.

But given the things I know about both series as a player - that Ecco 3 will likely never happen, that Metroid’s future as something recognisably Metroid starring someone recognisably Samus is uncertain - makes me a little sad when I play them now. Something has been lost, there.

And, come to think of it, it’s for similar yet wildly different reasons. It comes down to copyrights. Ecco the Dolphin is owned by SEGA, and for whatever reason they’ve refused to let the series creator borrow the rights for one last hurrah, for the resolution of the cliffhanger Tides of Time ended on. Metroid’s rights are owned by Nintendo, but even though several of the original creators are still with the company, they don’t seem to have any idea what makes the world and characters involved appealing anymore.  _Fans_  do, but no one at Nintendo seems to be listening to us.

Something has been lost.

_Something terrible has happened; something very powerful…_


End file.
